


We're a Sparkling Mess

by freetolive603



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:06:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2837426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freetolive603/pseuds/freetolive603
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny cleans up Mindy's apartment during the holiday season, but doesn't get the reaction he expects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're a Sparkling Mess

“Danny! Come here!” Mindy yelled as she struggled to push the door all the way open with her right shoulder. She had, as expected, too many shopping bags in each hand.

“I’m trying to make _arancini_ ,” he purposefully emphasized an Italian accent on the last word. “If I leave them for even a second, Mindy, the whole thing could be ruined!” He waved his spatula in the air for effect, not bothering to look behind.

She rolled her eyes and shoved her shoulder into the door harder. It finally flew open, and she gasped in shock, dropping her bags on the floor with a thud.

“What happened?!” Danny shouted, leaving his spatula in the pot full of oil and running over to the front door.

Mindy stammered as she stepped inside tentatively, her sparkly nude peep-toe heels clacking against the hardwood, “D-d-did you clean my apartment?”

The place was sparkling as if freshly wiped down with those Clorox wipes Danny had in abundance underneath his sink. It even smelled like those lemony godforsaken pieces of mesh. Magazines were stacked on the coffee table, the pink and white lambswool blanket she got for Christmas from Jeremy was folded carefully and resting on the couch, and Danny and her suitcases were resting against the kitchen island. They contrasted drastically, Mindy’s many hot pink pieces emblazoned with the Coach symbol against Danny’s small, tattered navy blue carry-on.

“Min, the place was a mess,” he reasoned, coming over and resting his hands on her arms.

“Danny Castellano, the nerve,” she huffed, shaking him off of her.

He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shrugged, “What? I was just trying to help!”

She pulled off her forest green houndstooth jacket and threw it on the floor for good measure. Danny had asked her to abide by his rules in his apartment, and in turn, she asked that he abide by the fact that she had no rules. Was that so difficult?

Mindy grabbed the shopping bags in order to throw them on the couch. Danny shut the door and then watched as she emptied the contents of the bags on the white couch and hardwood floor. Mindy dramatically kicked everything around to spread it out on the ground, getting more and more frustrated at Danny’s nonchalance. She stopped and glared at him angrily when she heard him chuckle. He noticed her expression and swallowed nervously.

The only sound that could still be heard was a light crackling in the background. Suddenly, Danny’s eyes bugged out, and he ran back to the kitchen. “My _arancini_!” He quickly turned the stove off as some of the oil flicked back onto his plain black T-shirt. He sighed, “I promised your parents the best Italian cooking ever. I can’t give them these.”

“Oh, just leave them for me on a plate. You know I’ll eat them,” Mindy grumbled as she made her way to her closet. The sequined black pencil skirt and red argyle sweater looked fabulous on her, yes, but were not the ideal fashion choices for the weather preceding an impending snowstorm. She was definitely ready to make the switch into something loose, cozy, and warm.

Mindy pulled out a pair of floral patterned pajamas from one of the top drawers when she felt two arms wrap around her waist. Danny nuzzled his face into her hair and whispered, “I’m sorry, Min.” He started reverting to his usual hysterics, “I started getting nervous about meeting your parents on Christmas and just started blasting Springsteen while cleaning and cooking. I was doing anything, anything to just calm down.”

Mindy untangled herself from his embrace and turned around, leaning back against the drawers. “Danny, I get you being nervous. It’s just that it feels like I’m walking on eggshells at your place trying to make sure I don’t crimp your grandpa style—”

“Hey!” he protested with a frown.

“And I really like having my apartment represent my youthful spontaneity,” she gestured wildly. “If my own apartment isn’t mine anymore, then what _is_ , Danny? What is?”

She pushed a few stray strands of black hair away from her face and stood silently. Danny knew what to do with a talkative Mindy, but a quiet, calm Mindy? He had seen her appear quite a few times this year, almost always related to him breaking her heart or making a huge mistake, and he never knew how to begin with her.

Mindy shook her head and moved around him to head to the bedroom. He followed her this time, unlike the others when he let her pass him by.

She pulled the shimmering skirt down her legs and tossed it onto the bed, replacing it with the soft pajama pants she had been holding close to her chest. Danny lightly placed his hands on her waist and turned her around. He helped her pull the sweater over her head and stepped back.

“Thanks,” Mindy whispered in a high-pitched voice, not looking directly at him. She put on the long-sleeved pajama top and shook her arms out.

“Mindy,” Danny sat down on the bed and grabbed her hand, tugging at it to indicate that she should sit down next to him. She sighed and did so. “I didn’t know you’d get this upset that I cleaned the apartment. If you want, I can mess it all up again with you.”

She waved her hand in the air, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll probably mess it up on my own in like a day.” She stared into his eyes, or actually, right below his eyes, so that her resolve wouldn’t break. “I just want you to let me be me. I take all your crazy, I want you to take mine, too. A little bit of you, a little bit of me – that’s how it should be, right?”

“Right,” Danny hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Min.”

“It’s okay.” She nestled into his arms. “Now, how about those stuffed cheese balls?”

“ _Arancini!_ ”


End file.
